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As you all know, I am really obsessed about challahs. It's a bit of a surprise I am not all challah'd out considering how many loaves I've baked in the last couple of weeks or so. I baked these stuffed challahs that were published in The Washington Post last week, all three, twice. The second batch which I baked at home went to our lucky neighbors, since I can't keep anything tree nuts in the house. I shouldn't have baked anything with tree nuts at home to begin with. I was so paranoid about tree nut contamination that I got rid of the half opened flours, leftover nuts and anything remotely in the vicinity, even the working surfaces. Yikes.

I also baked three plain honey challahs. One three strand crown with half the batch, and two mini, baby three strand rounds with the other half. I just love the baby challah as others did here too.

The Best Honey Challah

1 kg (2.2 lbs) all purpose flour

25 gr (3 1/2 packets) active dry yeast (each packet is 1/4oz)

1/2 cup Demerara sugar (sugar-in-the-raw)

1 tbl salt

1/2 cup canola oil

1/4 cup honey

2 eggs

1 1/2-2 cups mineral water

1 egg, whisked for egg wash

Sesame seeds, for garnish

Extra oil for proofing

Extra flour for making the strands, if necessary

Add the yeast into 1 cup of lukewarm water and then a teaspoon of sugar and mix. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let increase in volume and come to a bubble, approximately 20 minutes.

Add the flour, remaining sugar and salt into a mixer bowl with hook attachment and mix on low for a few seconds. Add the yeast, oil, eggs and a half cup of water while mixing on low. Scrape sides of the bowl as needed. Continue mixing on low and add the remaining 1/2 cup water as necessary. Knead in the mixer on low for 10 minutes total.

Scoop the dough out, cover with a film of canola oil, cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and set in a warm spot on the kitchen counter for an hour or until it doubles in size.

For the three strand crown challah:

Use half the dough batch above. Divide it into three parts. On a working surface roll out three long strands of equal length and thickness. Follow the braiding directions in the first chart above or get the same braiding directions appearing in the stuffed 3 strand Marzipan Almond Challah Crown version here.

Preheat oven to 350F on regular, not turbo, setting.

Let the challah proof on a parchment paper lined cake pan or cookie sheet, covered with a clean kitchen towel, for 30-40 minutes (do not over proof).

The chart above is also a step by step visual guide for the Marzipan Almond Challah Crown in The Washington Post here.

For the two three strand round baby challahs:

Divide the remaining dough into half and each half into 3 parts. On a working surface, roll out three strands of equal length and thickness. Braid each set of 3 parts as shown in pictures 1-4 in the first chart above and continue as instructed in the second chart.

If you wish to read the "snailing" directions for further clarification, you can access them in the four strand Fig, Olive Oil, Sea Salt and Spelt Challah here.